© Lonely Planet Publications

439

Guinea-Bissau
Like most sub-Saharan nations, Guinea-Bissau as we know it is an arbitrary, European con-
struct, yet it has two qualities that make this country stand out from its neighbours. First
and foremost are the people. They’re disarmingly friendly, yet you’ll almost never hear the
disingenuous ‘bonjour, mon ami’ that signals the beginning of an unwelcome sales pitch.
If you’re arriving from Dakar, you’ll be happy to learn that helpful gestures and friendly
conversation are almost always just that rather than a means to extract cash.

The country’s other big draw? The remarkable Arquipélago dos Bijagós. These delta islands
are lined with powdery, white-sand beaches, washed by azure waters, and populated by
a fascinating people whose culture, long protected by hidden sandbanks and treacherous
tides, is unlike any found in West Africa.

The mainland provides a fine recapitulation of many of West Africa’s attractions. There are
mangrove-lined rivers, home to crocodiles and shy hippos. The beaches of Varela rival those
of Cap Skiring just across the border in Senegal. The tropical rainforests of the south serve as
the westernmost habitat of the chimpanzee. And Bissau, the friendly capital and largest city,
has a sleepy historic centre of Portuguese colonial buildings shaded by giant mango trees.

Always poor, the country’s economy and infrastructure were severely damaged by civil
war in the late 1990s. As a result, transport and communications are trying at best and,
ironically, hotels and even food – especially in the capital – are no bargain. The good news
is that national reconciliation seems to have finally arrived with peaceful elections in 2005,
and the people have a cautious optimism about the country’s future. GUINEA-BISSAU

FAST FACTS

Area 36,120 sq km

Capital Bissau

Country code%245

Famous for Cashews

Languages Portuguese, Crioulo

Money West African CFA franc;
US$1 = 544.89; €1 = 655.96

Population 1,416,000

Visa All visitors except citizens of Ecowas
nations require a visa. They are available
upon arrival at Bissau airport. Otherwise,
arrange for a visa before arrival.
 440 G U I N E A - B I S S AU • • H i g h l i g h t s
WARNING
The peaceful presidential elections in 2005
and the nonviolent resolution of a serious
constitutional crisis that followed have
been hailed as signs of movement towards
long-term stability. That said, fundamental
problems of corruption, poverty and lin-
gering rivalries among the political and
military elites could destabilise the current
peace. Be sure to check the latest situa-
tion before entering Guinea-Bissau. The
region around São Domingos and along
the Senegalese border is particularly prone
to instability, since it is considered by
Senegal’s Casamance separatists to be part
of their natural territory. Violent flare-ups
still continue.
Also, beware that there are still land
mines in some rural and remote areas, left
over from both the 1998–9 civil war and
the war of liberation from Portugal. If you
plan to travel far off the beaten path, be
sure to research your route and consider
bringing a trusted guide.
HIGHLIGHTS

João Vieira (p453) Discover the island’s
powdery sand beaches and disarmingly
friendly people.

Orango (p453) Stalk rare, salt-water hip-
pos after visiting the tombs of Bijagós
kings and queens.

Bolama (p451) Witness the crumbling
GUINEA-BISSAU
colonial grandeur of the antique Portu-
guese capital.

Sacred forests (p457) Disappear into the
dense jungle around Catió and Jem-
berem – the westernmost habitat of the
African chimpanzee.

Bissau (p445) Sip your way through
blackouts at the capital’s amiable cafés.
ITINERARIES

One Week Most travellers with only a week
to spare spend a day or two in the capi-
tal Bissau (p445), which has few ‘sights’
but a pleasant, relaxing feel. This could
be combined with a few days visiting
the country’s major attraction, the Ar-
quipélago dos Bijagós (p450), southwest of
Bissau. The island of Bubaque (p452) is
the easiest to reach, with good beaches
and a range of places to stay.
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Two Weeks If you have a second week to
spare, consider further explorations of
the Bijagós. Head to Orango (p453), with
its rare, saltwater hippos, and Bolama
(p451), home to the once-grand Portu-
guese capital. Then check out one of the
small but paradisiacal islands like Acunda
(p454) or João Vieira (p453) for serious
decompression.

Three Weeks A third week would give you
enough time to explore some of the rich
mainland ecosystems in-depth. Con-
sider the mangrove swamps of the Parque
Natural dos Tarrafes do Rio Cacheu (p454) in
the north or the Cantanhez forest (p457)
in the south, home to chimps and el-
ephants.
CLIMATE & WHEN TO GO
The rainy season is from June to October; it
rains almost twice as much along the coast as
inland. Conditions are especially humid in
the months before the rains (April and May),
when average maximum daytime tempera-
tures rise to 34°C. Although daily maximums
rarely fall below 30°C, this is quite bearable
in the months after the rains, especially on
islands that catch the sea breeze.
The best time to visit is from late Novem-
ber to February, when conditions are dry
and relatively cool. February/early March
is also Carnival time in Bissau, although
smaller festivals take place in many towns
to celebrate the end of the harvest in No-
vember and December.
See Climate Charts p813.
HISTORY
The great Sahel Empire of Mali, which
flourished between the 13th and 15th cen-
turies AD, included parts of present-day
GUINEA WHO?
Causing no end of confusion to visitors,
people from Guinea-Bissau refer to them-
selves as guinenses and to the country
as Guiné, while that southerly neighbour
known to the rest of the world as Guinea
is here demoted to Guiné-Conakry. You
may also hear people from Guinea-Bissau
referred to as Bissau-Guinean. In this chap-
ter, we refer to citizens of Guinea-Bissau
simply as Guineans.
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HOW MUCH?

Small souvenir mask CFA2000

Shared taxi ride in Bissau CFA200

Nescafé CFA100

Woven indigo cotton cloth (40cm x
80cm) CFA3000

Main course in Western-style
restaurant CFA4000
LONELY PLANET INDEX

1L of petrol CFA550

1L of bottled water CFA500

Bottle of Portuguese beer CFA500

Souvenir T-shirt CFA2500

Omelette sandwich from street
vendor CFA500
Guinea-Bissau. For more information on
the precolonial history of this part of West
Africa, see p33.
European Arrival
Portuguese navigators began exploring the
coast of West Africa in the early 15th century,
reaching what’s now Guinea-Bissau around
1450. They found the region particularly at-
tractive, with navigable rivers that facilitated
trade with the peoples of the interior. Soon,
the Portuguese were extracting gold, ivory,
pepper and, above all, slaves. For centuries
though, the Portuguese presence was lim-
ited to coastal trading stations.
In the 17th century, the New World’s
thirst for slave labour grew astronomically.
France and the Netherlands, watching Por-
tuguese merchants grow rich, began to chal-
lenge their monopoly on the nefarious trade.
Although, Portugal eventually lost control
of much of the African coast, it managed to
hang onto its valuable Guinean ports.
Colonial Period
With the decline and eventual end of the
slave trade in the 19th century, the Portu-
guese had to win control of Guinea-Bissau’s
interior if they wanted to continue to extract
wealth from their possession. To do so, they
often allied themselves with Muslim eth-
nicities, including the Fula and Mandinko,
G U I N E A - B I S S AU • • H i s t o r y 441
in order to subdue the territory’s animist
tribes. Without the means to win hearts and
minds with educational or economic incen-
tives, Portuguese Guinea descended into
one of the most repressive and exploitative
colonial regimes in Africa. When right-wing
dictator António Salazar came to power in
Portugal in 1926, he imposed punishing tar-
iffs on foreigners in order to re-establish dir-
ect Portuguese rule. The rules were simple:
peasants planted groundnuts, like it or not.
War of Liberation
By the early 1960s, African countries were
rapidly winning independence from their
European colonial rulers. Britain and
France made fairly smooth transitions from
colonial to neocolonial countries, continu-
ing to profit from trade with their former
colonies. But Salazar, fuelled as much by
weakness as by his own nationalist rhetoric,
refused to relinquish his hold on his Afri-
can colonies. The result: one of the longest
liberation struggles in Africa’s history.
The leader of the independence move-
ment was writer and engineer Amilcar Ca-
bral, who in 1956 helped found the Partido
Africano da Independência da Guiné e Cabo
Verde (PAIGC). In 1961, the PAIGC started
arming and mobilising peasants. Though
outnumbered, PAIGC troops won control
of half the country within five years. Portu-
gal, meanwhile, was becoming increasingly
isolated internationally. Foreign politicians
and journalists visited the liberated area,
GUINEA-BISSAU
and the struggle became front-page news
during the early 1970s.
Even though Fula agents assassinated
Amilcar Cabral in Conakry, Guinea, in
1973, the momentum for freedom was
too strong. The PAIGC organised nation-
wide elections in the liberated areas and
proclaimed independence, with Amilcar
Cabral’s half-brother, Luiz, as president.
Eighty countries quickly recognised the
new government, but it took the overthrow
of Portugal’s dictatorship the following year
for Portugal to do the same.
Independence
Once in power, the new PAIGC government
faced staggering problems. Only one in 20
people could read, life expectancy was 35
years, and 45% of children died before the
age of five. During the war of independence,
 Guinea-Bissau

ὈὈὈὈ
442 G U I N E A - B I S S AU • • H i s t o r y www.lonelyplanet.com

GUINEA-BISSAU 0
0
40 km
20 miles

Ca SENEGAL Tanaf Salikénié

s a mance River To Kounkane (20km); Pirada
Vélingara (65km); To Koundara (45km);
Ziguinchor Tambacounda (170km) Labé (200km)
Farim
Ingore Barro Kandika

r
Bigene

ve
Cap São Domingos Pitche Saréboïdo

Ri
Skiring

ba
Gê
Varela Parque Natural Cacheu São Vicente Bissora Gabú
dos Tarrafes Gêba
do Rio Cacheu Canchungo Bafatá
Bula

r
ve
Calequisse Mansôa Canjadude

Ri
Joalande Bambadinca
Parque Natural Ché-Ché
ATLANTIC Quinhámel
BISSAU do Lagoa
Enxudé Falacunda de Cufada
Xitole

l
ba
OCEAN Prabis Boé

ru
Ilha São Casselinta Mampatá

Co
de Maio IIha de João Buba Saltinho
IIha de IIha de Bolama Quebo Waterfall
Mampatá
Caravela Carache Bolama

er
IIha Empada Forèa

Riv
Bolama-Bijagós Formosa Ilha das GUINEA
Ilha de Galinhas
Ar

Biosphere Reserve Guilege n

Bedanda go
qu

IIha de Rubane Ko
ipé

IIha de Uno Ilha de Bubaque Town Jemberem

lag

Unhocomo Bubaque IIha Catió MP Marine Park

Orango
o

Roxa Cacine Sanconha NP National Park

Islands
do

Bi Ilha de João
s

ja NP IIha de
Orangozinho Vieira
gó
s IIha de João Vieira – Parque Natural To Conakry
Orango Poilão National MP de Cantanhez (230km) Boké

rice production had fallen by 71% and rice position leader Koumba Yala accepted de-
had to be imported for the first time ever. feat and appealed for national unity.
Politically, the PAIGC wanted a unified Economic conditions were gradually im-
Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde. However, proving for most people. Unusually for an
this idea died in 1980 when President Luis African nation, rural inhabitants had been
Cabral (Amilcar’s half-brother) was over- enjoying a slight improvement in standards
thrown in a coup while he was visiting Cape since the 1970s. Overall, however, Guinea-
Verde to negotiate the union. João Vieira Bissau’s social and economic situation re-
took over as president. mained dangerously poor. Cracks began to
Despite the change of leadership, Guinea- show in 1997 when teachers, health workers
Bissau continued to follow a socialist path. and other state employees went on strike to
The state controlled most major enterprises, protest, among other things, embezzlement
Marxist literature was everywhere and pol- of foreign aid money.
itical dissent was banned, although behind Things suddenly came to a head on 7 June
the dogma, Vieira encouraged pragmatism 1998 with an attempted coup led by Gen-
GUINEA-BISSAU

and political neutrality. The Soviet Union eral Ansumane Mane, former head of the
provided arms and advisers while the West army. Vieira had sacked Mane the day be-
provided nonmilitary aid. fore, accusing him of supplying arms to the
Life remained hard for most people. Bis- Mouvement des Forces Démocratique de
sau’s shops were almost empty and in rural la Casamance (MFDC), the separatist rebel
areas, foreign products were even more group in neighbouring Senegal. Mane’s coup
scarce. Vieira realised that Guinea-Bissau was backed by a majority of Guinean sol-
was making no progress under Marxism, and diers and, reportedly, by the MFDC. Senegal
in 1986, following a serious coup attempt the and Guinea became involved in the conflict,
previous year, the government completely sending soldiers to help defend Vieira and
reversed its policies, devalued the currency loyal government troops. As the two sides
and began selling off state enterprises. shelled and bombed each other’s positions in
and around Bissau, residential districts were
The 1990s caught in the crossfire, and many people were
Vieira proved to be a shrewd politician, sur- killed. News reports from mid-July told of
viving three coup attempts while keeping towns and villages being attacked, with many
the PAIGC in power. He won the 1994 presi- civilians killed and atrocities committed. By
dential elections, although 52% of the vote late July, 300,000 people were displaced.
was hardly a landslide victory. Even though Despite attempts by Portugal and several
many Guineans questioned the results, op- Ecowas states to negotiate peace, fighting
www.lonelyplanet.com G U I N E A - B I S S AU • • T h e C u l t u re 443

continued. In May 1999, the military junta
led by General Ansumane Mane at last con-
quered all of Bissau and personally escorted
Vieira to the Portuguese embassy. With the
junta’s claim that they had no interest in
power, the president of the national assem-
bly became interim president.
Unstable Peace
Transparent presidential and legislative
elections were held in November, and a
presidential run-off in January 2000 made
Koumba Yala the president of the new civil-
ian government. He successfully quashed a
coup attempt by General Ansumane Mane,
who was eventually killed in a shoot-out at
Quinhámel, 40km from the capital.
Yala’s problems with the military had
been temporarily solved, but it wasn’t long
before his relations with other sectors of the
government, as well as with civic groups
and the media, became strained. In 2001
and 2002, Yala seemed to seek out contro-
versy, arresting journalists, defying court
rulings, and sacking half the civil service.
In September 2003, a coup headed by
General Veríssimo Correira Seabra finally
removed the erratic Yala. Legislative elections
were held in 2004, with Seabra as caretaker
head of state. But, in October 2004, Seabra
was killed by a faction of soldiers who, ac-
cording to some, were protesting unpaid
wages. The country held its collective breath
until presidential elections in 2005.
Deposed president João Vieira, who had
returned from exile in Portugal to run a
successful campaign based on national rec-
onciliation. People remembered his regime
as, if not free of corruption, then at least as
a time of stability and a modicum of eco-
nomic growth.
Still, an obstacle to peace remained.
Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Júnior, long
Vieira’s rival in the PAIGC, refused Vieira’s
calls to resign. After a tense fall, the stand-
off was finally decided in the country’s Su-
preme Court – Gomes had to go. While
fundamental problems of corruption and
poverty could yet destabilise the current
peace, Guineans generally express cautious
optimism about their country’s future.
THE CULTURE
The National Psyche
Despite grinding poverty, a severely dam-
aged infrastructure and wide religious and
ethnic differences, Guineans are united by
a neighbourly goodwill that is genuinely
remarkable. Even in the capital city where
blackouts keep streets pitch black most
nights, you can walk the streets with only
a modicum of care. Violence and even ag-
gressive salesmanship are rare. Visitors of
European descent may be peppered with
the epithet branco (white), especially out-
side the capital. However, it’s almost al-
ways an expression of curiosity and surprise
rather than a putdown. You will feel wel-
come just about anywhere you go.
GUINEA-BISSAU

Guinea-Bissau Today The mainland people share many cultural

Despite widespread fears of continued fac- aspects with similar groups in neighbouring
tional violence, the 2005 presidential elec- Senegal and Guinea. However, the Bijagós
tions were held as planned and have been people from the islands of the same name
generally deemed free and fair. The winner? have very distinct customs (see p451).

REVOLUTION, NOT REVOLT

Three decades after the liberation of Guinea-Bissau, the Partido Africano da Independência da
Guiné e Cabo Verde (PAIGC) is viewed as a model for revolutionary armies in many parts of the
world. Realising that society had to be completely reorganised if the people were ever to be
genuinely free, party founder Amilcar Cabral insisted on genuine revolution rather than an armed
revolt that traded colonialism for home-grown oppression.
As each part of the country was liberated, the PAIGC helped villagers build schools, provided
medical services and encouraged widespread political participation. As a result, the PAIGC quickly
built popular support in a country of deep ethnic, social and linguistic differences. At the same
time, the movement gained wide international support that helped isolate Portugal’s right wing
dictatorship. The result of the PAIGC’s political efforts: they were able to improve the lives of
their fellow citizens and at the same time defeat a better armed enemy.
 444 G U I N E A - B I S S AU • • R e l i g i o n
Daily Life
On paper, Guinea-Bissau is one of the
world’s poorest countries, though regu-
lar rains and relatively fertile land make
outright hunger rare. In rural areas, most
people scratch out a living from fishing
and subsistence farming. Villages consist
of mud-brick houses roofed with thatched
grasses, and at night families gather around
wood fires that are both the stove and, after
dark, the only source of light.
Except for a lucky few, life is hardly
easier in cities and towns. In a nation with
virtually no industry, most people eke out
a living as small-time merchants, hawking
foodstuffs or cheap imports, mostly from
China. The good news is that urban dwell-
ers, while poor, do not face the kinds of
threats, from pollution to violence, that
wrack many African cities.
Population
Current estimates put the population at
about 1.4 million, divided among some
23 ethnic groups. The two largest are the
Balante (30%) in the coastal and southern
regions and the Fula (20%) in the north.
Other groups include the Manjaco (or Man-
jak), Papel, and Fulup (closely related to the
Diola of Senegal) in the northwest, and
the Mandingo (Mandinka) in the interior.
The offshore islands are mostly inhabited by
the Bijagós people (see p451).
Cities, particularly Bissau, are home to
a significant minority of people of mixed
GUINEA-BISSAU
European and African ancestry. Largely
descendants of Cape Verdean immigrants,
they form a kind of urban elite. There
are also a number of more recent immi-
grant groups, including Mauritanian and
Lebanese merchants. French entrepreneurs
dominate the fledgling tourist industry in
the Bijagós. And there is still a scattering
of Portuguese colonials who have chosen to
stay on after independence, running shops,
restaurants and hotels.
For more information on Fula and Man-
dingo cultures, see p73.
RELIGION
About 45% of the people (mainly Fula and
Mandingo) are Muslims; they are con-
centrated more upcountry than along the
coast. Christians make up less than 10% of
the population. Most are Catholic, though
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evangelical Christians are making small but
significant inroads. Animist beliefs remain
strong along the coast, in the south, and
on the Bijagós islands. Animism still has
a strong influence even on the practices of
those who espouse Christianity or Islam.
ARTS
While mainland Guinea-Bissau is not noted
for the use of sculpted figures and masks,
the Bijagós people continue to maintain
these traditions. Statues representing irans
(great spirits) are used in connection with
agricultural and initiation rituals. The
Bijagós also carve initiation masks, the best
known being the Dugn’be, a ferocious bull
with real horns. One of the best times to see
masks is in Bissau at Carnival time (usually
February).
On the mainland, traditional dance and
music are influenced by the Mandingo
and Diola people of neighbouring Gam-
bia and Senegal. The harplike kora and the
xylophone-like balafon are played, while
women take turns dancing in front of a
circle of onlookers. The traditional Guinean
beat is gumbé.
Modern music shares the same roots,
though the Portuguese colonial legacy has
given it a Latin edge, especially among the
larger orchestras. On the street and in bush
taxis you’ll hear little Sahelian-style music
and more salsa and Latin sounds. One of
Guinea-Bissau’s most popular groups is
Super Mama Djombo, along with Dulce
Maria Neves, N’Kassa Cobra, Patcheco,
Justino Delgado, Rui Sangara, and Ramiro
Naka. These singers perform occasionally
in some of Bissau’s nightclubs.
ENVIRONMENT
The Land
Guinea-Bissau has an area of just over
36,000 sq km (about the size of Switz-
erland), making it one of West Africa’s
smaller countries. The coastal areas are
flat, with estuaries, mangrove swamps and
patches of forest. Inlets indent the coast and
high tides periodically submerge the lowest
areas. Inland, the landscape remains flat,
with the highest ground, near the Guinean
border, just topping 300m above sea level.
Off the coast is the Arquipélago dos Bi-
jagós, consisting of 18 main islands and
dozens of smaller ones.
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Wildlife
ANIMALS
Guinea-Bissau’s rivers are home to fresh-
water hippos, while the island of Orango
supports a small population of rare, salt-
water hippos. The Bijagós are also an im-
portant nesting ground for aquatic turtles.
The rainforests of the southeast are the
most westerly home of Africa’s chimpan-
zee population. There is also a stunning
variety of birds, especially along the coastal
wetlands, including cranes and peregrine
falcons.
PLANTS
The natural vegetation of the inland areas
is lightly wooded savanna, but much of it
is under cultivation. You’ll see rice fields
and plantations of groundnuts, maize and
other crops. The coastal zone is very low-
lying and indented by many large creeks
and estuaries, where mangrove swamps
dominate.
National Parks
Guinea-Bissau has a number of protected
areas, including the flagship Bolama-
Bijagós Biosphere Reserve, which contains
the Orango Islands National Park (p453)
and the João Vieira–Poilão National Mar-
ine Park (p453). On the mainland, the
Parque Natural dos Tarrafes do Rio Cacheu
(p454), near the border with Senegal, pro-
tects a vast area of mangroves. In the south
of the country, near Buba, the Parque Nat-
ural de Lagoa de Cafatada (p457) protects
a freshwater wetland area. South of here
the Parque Natural de Cantanhez (p457)
is planned to protect estuarine mangroves
and several sacred forests that have cultural
significance.
Despite this impressive collection, parks
can be difficult to visit because of poor na-
tional roads as well as limited park infra-
structures. And because of a long history
of unpaid salaries, park staff tend to see
visitors as potential income sources. That
said, a new management structure holds
out promise for improved facilities and
scheduled rates, though at writing, plans
were still being worked out. If you plan
to visit any of the parks, check with the
friendly people at the Bissau headquarters
of IBAP (%207106; Rua São Tomé), the institute
that oversees all the parks.
B I S S AU 445
Environmental Issues
A major environmental issue is the destruc-
tion of mangroves – some of the most im-
portant in Africa – on the coast, due to the
expansion of rice production in seasonally
flooded areas. The increase in groundnut
production also creates problems – the
plants rapidly exhaust soil nutrients and
farming methods lead to erosion. Offshore,
Guinea-Bissau has rich fishing waters, but
overfishing may become an issue if con-
trols are not introduced. The UICN (World
Conservation Union) and several other
bodies are working to protect Guinea-
Bissau’s natural environment.
FOOD & DRINK
Seafood is the highlight of Guinean cuisine,
from oysters and shrimp to the meaty bica
(sea bream). Fish is generally either grilled
or sautéed in a delicious white sauce based
on onions and limes. Rice is the ubiquitous
staple, sometimes supplemented with other
starches like French-fried potatoes, yams,
beans and mandioca (cassava). Vegetables
generally include okra, often served as a
puree, carrots and squash. Rich, reddish-
orange palm oil, called chabeu, is another
important staple. In rural areas, meat dishes
may be macaco (monkey), so ask before
ordering if you don’t fancy chimp. Vegetar-
ian options are limited indeed, though eggs
are plentiful.
Canned soft drinks, bottled water and
beer imported from Portugal are widely
GUINEA-BISSAU
available. Local brews include palm wine,
as in many other West African countries.
You may also come across caña de cajeu
(cashew rum), equally strong and made
not from the nuts, but from the fruit of
the cashew-nut tree. However, beware that
homemade distilled products can have high
levels of toxins.
BISSAU
Despite ruined monuments, cavernous
potholes and regular blackouts, Bissau
manages to have its charms. The sleepy co-
lonial heart, while largely crumbling, has
wide, mango-shaded streets and attractive,
pastel-coloured buildings. There are several
attractive cafés and restaurants where the
country’s elite and intelligentsia reliably
 Bissau
446 B I S S AU www.lonelyplanet.com

0 500 m
BISSAU 0 0.3 miles

A B C D

INFORMATION SLEEPING ENTERTAINMENT

BAO..........................................1 C5
British and Dutch Consul........(see 31)
1 Centre Culturel
Franco-Bissau-Guinéen..........2 C5
Cybernet Café...........................3 C5
French Embassy..........................4 B4
Gambian Embassy......................5 A3
Guinean Embassy.......................6 C5
Guinetours.................................7 C5
IBAP Office................................8 B4
Main Post Office........................9 C5
Mauritanian Embassy...............10 C5
Ministry of Tourism................. 11 C4
Pharmacie
Moçambique........................12 B5
2 Senegalese Embassy................ 13 C4
Serviço de Estrangeiros.............14 B4
Simão Mendes.........................15 C5
Surire Tours..............................16 B5
Telephones..............................(see 9)
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
Former Presidential Palace.......17 C4
Aparthotel Jordani................... 19 C5 X Club.....................................38 C5
Aparthotel Lobato................... 20 C4
Apartmentos Proquil................21 C5 SHOPPING
Hotel 24 de Setembro..............22 C2 Centro Artistico Juvenil............39 A3
Hotel Caracol...........................23 A4
Hotel Ta-Mar...........................24 C5 TRANSPORT
Pensão Centrale.......................25 C5 Air Senegal.............................. 40 C5
Residencial Coimbra.................26 C5 TAP Air Portugal......................41 C4
Tambarina............................... 27 A4
EATING
Bate Papo.................................28 B5
Dona Fernanda........................29 C3
Gelataria Baiana.......................30 C5
Gelataria Baiana ....................(see 30)
Mavegro................................. 31 D5
Papa Louca Fast Food..............32 C4
Restaurant Asa Branca..............33 B5 22
Restaurant Jordani.................(see 19)
Restaurant Magui....................34 C4
Restaurant Ta-Mar.................(see 24)
Restaurante Samaritana...........35 C4
Rice Bars..................................36 C5

Estrada de Sta Luzia

Fortaleza d'Amura...................18 D5 Supermercado Bonjour............37 C5

be
ssu
Pe
caso

o
nj ad
Cor

ra
To Museu Nacional (1km); aG
3
Rua

Barracas & SITEC (1km);

dad 29
Hotel Bissau (2km); tra
Bambu 2000 (2km); Es
Paragem (6km); Airport (7km);
Bafatá (151km); Gabú (200km)

5 39 Some Minor Roads not Depicted

das
ões Uni

ὈὈ
Ὀ
Av Naç
Av Pansau Na Isna
Rua Osvaldo Vieira

Av 35
Africana
de idade
Chapa
14 27 Un
No
da

ve 11
Av

m
br
o 14 20
Av Domingos

4 Praça dos
23 17 Heróis
Av Cae Mercado 4 Rua 16 Nacionais
tano Se 32
Mercado medo (E de Bandim
de Caracol
strada
de Bor) Av Francisco Mendes
41
GUINEA-BISSAU

8
a de São Tomé Estádio 13
Ru Rua 14
Ramos

Rua Cabo Lino

Verde Correia 34
Rua de Angola
16 6 7
Av do

Praça Ché 15
Rua 12 12 Guevara
30
(Baiana)
Rua Eduardo Mondlane 38
Brazil

31
10 2 26 19
Av Amílcar Cabral

33
Rua Djassi

28 Mercado
Rua Justino Lopes Central
3 Cathedral
Rua Vitorino Costa 9 25
5
im

37
18
Band

40
a
ban
aM

Av do 3 de Agosto 24 s
a de

ende
rra M
Ru

36 Gue
Estrad

Pidjiguiti 1 Rua
21
Monument
o
gost
Av do 3 de A

Agos to
Av do 3 de Port

Cargo Port
Boat t o Ilh

Passenger Port
(Pidjiguiti)
6
de a

r
ve
Bo

Ri
la

ba
ma

To Estádio 24 de Gê (4
0k
Setembro (1km);
Porto Rampa (1km) m
)
www.lonelyplanet.com
gather day after day. Best of all, you’ll feel
a distinct lack of hustle in the streets that
will seem a blessing if you arrive from, for
example, Lagos or Dakar.
ORIENTATION
Bissau’s main drag is the wide Av Amilcar
Cabral, running between the port and Praça
dos Heróis Nacionais. A block west on Av
Domingos Ramos is the main market, the
Mercado Central, and Praça Ché Guevara
(better known as Baiana), which has some
bars and restaurants. On the northwest-
ern edge of the centre is the Mercado de
Bandim. From here, Av de 14 Novembro
leads northwest to the main paragem (bus
and taxi park), the airport and all inland
destinations.
INFORMATION
Cultural Centres
Centre Culturel Franco-Bissao-Guinéen (%206816;
Praça Ché Guevera;h9am-10pm Mon-Sat) This newly
re-built centre has a library, art gallery,
theatre and an interior courtyard with a
pleasant café.
Emergency
Fire (%118)
Police (%117)
Internet Access
Cybernet Café (Rua Vitorino Costa; per hr CFA1200;
h9am-10pm) Slow but dependable connections, open
evenings and Sundays.
SITEC (Av de 14 Novembro; per hr CFA1500; huntil
10pm Mon-Sat, to 6pm Sun) Decent connections in air-con
outside the city centre.
Medical Services
Pharmacie Moçambique (%205513) The best phar-
macy in town is well-stocked and has a helpful pharma-
cist. If you need to see a doctor, ask here for Dr Kassem
Dahrouge, who speaks French and some English.
Simão Mendes (%212861; Av Pansau Na Isna) Bissau’s
main hospital, but facilities are limited, to say the least.
Money
At writing, there were no ATM machines
in Guinea-Bissau, and credit cards were not
accepted anywhere. You must plan to arrive
with all the money you need in the form
of traveller’s cheques or, preferably, cash.
BAO near the port is the only bank in the
country that reliably exchanges cash. They
B I S S AU • • O r i e n t a t i o n 447
strongly prefer euros but will sometimes
exchange US dollars.
If you have only traveller’s cheques, try
the Supermercado Mavegro (%201224, 201216; Rua
Eduardo Mondlane; h3.30-6pm Mon, 9am-12.30pm & 3-
6pm Tues-Fri, 9am-12.30pm Sat), though be warned
that rates are not good. The store also ex-
changes cash – including US dollars – at
slightly better rates.
There are a number of small money-
changers around the Mercado Central,
including some who work on the streets
themselves. Some may exchange travel-
ler’s cheques, though at poor rates. Rates
for cash, on the other hand, can be good.
Beware, though – there are definitely
scammers mixed in amongst the honest
brokers.
Post
Main post office (Correio; Av Amilcar Cabral)
Telephone
For local calls, keep an eye out for signs for
a ‘posto publico’; they are located in corner
grocery stores and other shops around the
city centre. They allow you to make local
calls and international long-distance calls,
though the latter can be punishingly ex-
pensive – between CFA2200 and CFA5000
per minute, depending on the country.
There is also a call centre at the main post
office.
Tourist Information
GUINEA-BISSAU
Ministry of Tourism (%245643; Av Pansau Na Isna)
The people here are friendly enough, but not equipped
with much useful information for travellers. For informa-
tion on hotels and private transport, you’re better off at a
travel agency or tour operator.
Travel Agencies
Guinetours (%214344; Rua 12) This is the best agency
for international or domestic flights, and for information
about hotels around the country.
Surire Tours (%214166; Rua de Angola) Also
recommended.
DANGERS & ANNOYANCES
Walking around at night is safer in Bissau
than in just about any other African capital
city. Nevertheless, crime is slowly increas-
ing, so take the usual precautions. Where
possible, avoid unlit streets and the port
area at night.
 448 B I S S AU • • S i g h t s
SIGHTS
The former presidential palace dominates
Praça dos Heróis Nacionais at the north-
ern end of Av Amilcar Cabral. With a
bombed-out roof and shrapnel in its once
graceful, neoclassical façade, it’s an ever-
present reminder of the country’s devas-
tating civil war.
Off the southern end of Av Amilcar
Cabral are the narrow streets of the old
Portuguese quarter. The quarter houses col-
ourful if often crumbling Mediterranean-
style buildings. The old neighbourhood
is guarded by the Fortaleza d’Amura. Sur-
rounded by imposing stone walls, it’s still
used by the Guinean military and strictly
off-limits to visitors.
On the campus of the national university
on the outskirts of town is the Museu Nacional
(Av de 14 Novembro; admission CFA500; h8am-noon &
3-6pm Mon-Fri). Looted during the war, it is
slowly rebuilding a small but interesting
collection of tribal art. Don’t miss the col-
lection of Carnival floats located in the up-
stairs gallery.
FESTIVALS & EVENTS
Guinea-Bissau’s main event is Carnival,
which takes place in Bissau every February/
early March. Music, masks, dancing, pa-
rades and all-round good times are the
order of the day.
SLEEPING
Accommodations in Bissau are expensive
GUINEA-BISSAU
and generally of poor quality, especially
given the high prices. Be prepared for
power blackouts in budget and even some
midrange hotels.
Budget
Pensão Centrale (% 213270; Av Amilcar Cabral;
r with shared bathroom CFA20,000) Occupying a
once-grand building with wide verandas
and huge, high-ceilinged rooms, this is
the traditional backpacker choice Beware
though: mattresses are thin, rooms are not
terribly clean and security can be lax. The
hotel is run by Dona Berta, a popular fig-
ure in Bissau who may share tales of her
city and the various wars she and it have
survived.
Hotel Caracol (Av Caetano Semedo; r CFA10,000)
This seedy place offers small rooms with
a bucket of water and a piece of foam on
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the cement floor, yet manages to be one of
Bissau’s ‘best’ (read ‘only’) budget options.
Midrange
Aparthotel Jordani (%201719; Av Pansau Na Isna; s/d
CFA25,000/35,000; a) The Jordani is a friendly
hotel and offers digs with running water,
TV, small fridge, and a generally depend-
able power supply. Although, there is only
cold water, and rooms are neither very
attractive nor particularly clean or well-
maintained, yet still manage to be some of
the best in Bissau.
Hotel Ta-Mar (%206647; r from CFA25,000; a)
Located in the old Portuguese quarter,
this hotel has definitely seen better days –
think rickety fixtures and crumbling plas-
ter. That said, it has newish beds and air-
conditioning. All rooms have their own
shower and sink; in-room toilets cost an
extra CFA10,000 per night.
Hotel 24 de Septembro (% 221033; r from
CFA35,000; as) This state-run hotel offers
pleasant-looking bungalows set on peace-
ful, leafy grounds a little removed from the
town centre. Unfortunately, rooms were
looted during the war, and so are neither
comfortable nor particularly clean.
Apartmentos Proquil (%204980; r with fan/air-
con CFA20,000/25,000; a) Located near the port,
above an export business of the same name,
this place has slightly decrepit rooms with
furnishings that date to the 1960s. This is as
good as it gets for this price range.
Aparthotel Lobato (%201719; Av Pansau Na Isna;
s/d CFA35,000/45,000; a) Rooms are newish and
comfortable enough, though stuffy; prices
are high.
Top End
Residencial Coimbra (%213467; fax 20 14 90; Av Amil-
car Cabral; s/d CFA55,000/78,000; a) With tastefully
appointed rooms featuring interesting local
art, as well as an attractive rooftop garden,
the Coimbra is the only genuinely decent
hotel in the city – though you’ll pay dearly
for the privilege of staying here. A high-
quality breakfast buffet is included.
Hotel Bissau (%251251; fax 255552; Av de 14
Novembro; s/d CFA50,000/60,000; ais) Taken
over by rebels during the recent civil war,
this graceless concrete monolith has defin-
itely seen better days. Rooms are large and
have balconies, but are definitely frayed.
However, the leafy grounds are attractive
www.lonelyplanet.com
enough; the swimming pool is available to
nonguests for CFA5000 per day.
EATING
If your budget is tight, check out the rice
bars near the port, where you can expect
to pay around CFA500 for a heap of rice
mixed with meat or fish. Unfortunately, the
street stalls that are so common in West
Africa are practically absent from Bissau.
Restaurants
Unless otherwise indicated, the following
restaurants are open for lunch (around
noon to 3pm) and dinner (around 7pm to
10pm) daily.
Restaurant Magui (Av Amilcar Cabral; meals
CFA2500) The charming Magui serves up spot-
on Senegalese dishes in her simple eatery
above the now-defunct cinema.
Dona Fernanda (meals CFA2500-5000; hdinner)
Hidden down a dirt road east of Estrada de
Santa Luzia, Dona Fernanda serves up excel-
lent Guinean dishes. Her bica (sea bream) is
considered one of the best in the city.
Gelataria Baiana (Praça Ché Guevara) Serving
espresso, drinks and baked goods on an
outdoor terrace in the city’s most attractive
praça (park or square), Baiana is a favourite
of politicians, artists and expats alike.
Restaurant Samaritana (off Av Pansau Na Isna;
meals CFA2500) Another restaurant serving up
simple, fresh and delicious Senegalese food
in humble surroundings. Next door, there’s
also a decent Chinese restaurant with wide-
screen TVs playing music videos.
Papa Louca Fast Food (Av Francisco Mendes) A de-
cent option for ‘fast food’ such as shwarmas
(CFA1000), hamburgers (CFA1500) and pizza
(CFA2000) that is popular with expats.
Restaurant Ta-Mar (mains CFA4000) A favourite
of the city’s movers and shakers, this newly
refurbished restaurant in the hotel of the
same name has a distinctly European feel.
Food is generally decent if pricey. On Fri-
day nights, they close off the street, set up
tables outside and often feature live music.
Bate Papo (Rua Eduardo Mondlane; meals CFA4000)
At night, this upmarket place has the best
pizza in town (CFA3500), and in the morn-
ing, it has good pastries and coffee.
Restaurant Jordani (Av Pansau Na Isna; mains
CFA4000-5000) Come here for the festive, red-
tiled dining room rather than the food,
which is only sometimes good. It’s a great
B I S S AU • • E a t i n g 449
spot on Thursdays when people come to
eat, drink and listen to live music by some
of the country’s leading musicians.
Restaurant Asa Branca (Rua Justino Lopes; meals
CFA4000-6000) Asa Branca serves traditional
Portuguese fare and is particularly noted
for its seafood.
Self-Catering
You can get fresh produce in and around the
Mercado Central or at the Mercado Bandim,
though be prepared to bargain – the ladies
will rob you blind if you don’t know your
papayas. For imported foodstuffs, head to
one of the city’s higher-end supermarkets.
Supermercardo Mavegro (Rua Eduardo Mondlane) sells
all kinds of imported items, from tents and
car tyres to shampoo, plus a decent selection
of packaged foods. Supermercado Bonjour (Rua
Vitorino Costa) near the Air Sénégal office also
has a decent selection of packaged food.
DRINKING
Perhaps the best thing about Bissau is its
easy sociability, and there are a number
of places to while away an afternoon or
evening over beer or coffee.
French speakers may prefer the café in
the inner courtyard of the Centre Culturel
Franco-Bissao-Guinéen (p447) on the other
side of the square.
A number of restaurants also double as
bar-cafés, including the Restaurant Jordani
and the Restaurant Ta-Mar. On Thursday
nights the Jordani hosts some of the best mu-
GUINEA-BISSAU
sicians in the country without even charging
a cover and on Friday nights, the Ta-Mar
closes off the street in front, set up tables
outside and often features live music.
ENTERTAINMENT
X Club (Rua Osualdo Vieira) For late-night party-
ing, this club caters to everyone from ideal-
istic UN workers to shady businessmen on
the prowl. Décor is Euro-trendy and there
are two free snooker tables.
Bambu 2000 (Av de 14 Novembro) On weekends,
this more rustic locale overflows with lo-
cals willing to drop a few thousand CFA to
dance till dawn.
SHOPPING
Centro Artistico Juvenil (Av de 14 Novembro) Not
only a great place to shop (prices are actually
marked and there is no pressure to buy!),
 450 A R Q U I P É L A G O D O S B I J A G Ó S • • D a n g e r s & A n n o y a n c e s
this is also a fine introduction to the arts
and crafts of the Guinea-Bissau’s many
ethnicities. Purchases help young trainees
learn traditional artisanship.
Check out the beaded jewellery and wood
carvings on sale on the sidewalk in front of
Pensão Centrale (p448), though here you
will have to bargain. Just north of the main
post office, vendors sell a variety of textiles
(beautiful but mostly machine made). For
cheap wares, from hats and sunglasses to
used clothing, try Mercado de Bandim.
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Air
Bissau is home to the country’s only air-
port with regularly scheduled flights, with
services by TACV Cabo Verde Airlines, Air
Sénégal International, TAP Air Portugal, and
Air Luxor. See p460 for more information.
Boat
Currently there is no ferry service in Bissau,
but there is talk of restarting service to Bu-
baque in the Bijagós. For information about
boat travel to the Bijagós, see opposite.
Bush Taxi & Minibus
You can get bush taxis and minibuses to
just about anywhere in the country, as
well as to Senegal, at the outdoor paragem
(stop), hidden about 500m south of Av de
14 Novembro, about 5km outside town. It’s
always best to get transport in the morning.
For more information about travel by bush
GUINEA-BISSAU
taxi and minibus, see p461.
To get to the paragem, take a toca-toca
(minibus) from the Mercado de Bandim
(CFA100) or a taxi (about CFA1000) from
anywhere in town.
GETTING AROUND
To/From the Airport
The airport is about 9km from the town
centre. Taxis meet most flights, and it
should cost no more than CFA2000 to get
into town. To get a minibus (CFA100), walk
200m to the roundabout at the start of Av de
14 Novembro, the main road into the city.
Taxi
Shared taxis – generally well-worn Mercedes,
and always painted blue and white – are plent-
iful and ply all the main routes. Prices vary
according to distance and whim, but never
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cost more than CFA300 for trips within the
city centre.
Toca-Toca
These are small minibuses painted blue
and yellow that run around the city. Most
rides cost CFA100. The most useful route
for visitors goes from Mercado de Bandim
along Av de 14 Novembro towards the para-
gem and airport.
ARQUIPÉLAGO
DOS BIJAGÓS
At first, the Bijagós – Africa’s only archi-
pelago – may seem simply a pleasant escape
from the problems of the mainland, with
swaying palms, cooling breezes and pow-
dery, white-sand beaches. Stay a little while
though, and you’ll begin to fall under the
islands’ singular spell.
Protected by swift tides and treacherous
sandbanks, the islands have long been a
world apart. They eluded Portuguese control
until the 1930s, and the fiercely independent
Bijagós people still retain a large degree of
autonomy from the federal government.
Most visitors to the islands seem to be ei-
ther biologists who come to study the unique
and rich variety of marine life, or else sports
fishermen who come to catch and eat it.
When you see the islands’ turquoise waters
quiver with fish, you can understand what
attracts both groups. The entire archipelago
has been declared a biosphere reserve, and
two island groups have also been declared
national parks: the southern Orango group,
home to saltwater hippos; and the eastern
João Vieira group, breeding ground to a
number of endangered sea turtles.
Travellers should note that transportation
to and between the islands is difficult. See op-
posite for more information. Also, low tides
often reveal mud flats that reach kilometres
out to sea, limiting beach-going to high tide –
unless you like to wade thigh-deep in mud.
Finally, telephone service on the islands – in-
cluding mobile service – is very unreliable.
Dangers & Annoyances
Because of the higher density of tourism,
the Bijagós are one of the few places in
the country were you will hear a litany of
www.lonelyplanet.com A R Q U I P É L A G O D O S B I J A G Ó S • • I l h a d e B o l a m a 451

QUEENS OF THE BIJAGÓS

Protected by the shallow channels and treacherous tides that wash their islands, the peoples of
the Arquipélago dos Bijagós have, over the centuries, developed a largely matriarchal culture
that is remarkably distinct from that of mainland Guinea. The islanders are ruled by a king and
queen (they’re not married) who serve as co-regents – the king managing men’s affairs and the
queen managing women’s affairs. Women often serve as chiefs of individual villages, and they’re
also the sole homeowners – only fair since they are entirely responsible for homebuilding, from
brick-making to actual construction.
Marriage is also a matriarchal affair. On some islands, when a girl reaches puberty, the young
men venture forth with as much rice and other goods as they can afford in the hope of buying
their way into her favour. She chooses a suitor, but if she’s not pregnant within a year, or if
someone else makes a better offer, she can ditch her man and choose another. The man usually
only stays around until she gives birth, then returns home and becomes eligible for other liaisons.
Children take their mother’s name and are often unable to identify their father.
The majority of the people remain almost virtually untouched by modern civilisation. They’re
exceedingly open and friendly, though they’ll also ask you to give them anything you might be
carrying, up to and including the shirt off your back – literally. But however welcoming they are,
remember that their culture’s survival depends exactly on its isolation. If you travel to the more
remote islands, tread very, very lightly.

requests, mostly by children and always in
French, for cent francs (CFA100).
Getting There & Away
Transportation to the islands is, simply
put, difficult. There is no longer a ferry
service or regularly scheduled flights. That
leaves two options. First are canoas – large,
motorised, occasionally leaky and nearly
always overloaded canoes – that leave Bis-
sau from either the port at the foot of Av
Amilcar Cabral, or Port Rampa, the fisher-
men’s port near the Estádio 24 de Setembro.
At writing, a small cruise ship called the
African Queen was expected to return to
Bissau, with regular, multiday excursions
to the islands. The schedule, prices and
details were still to be determined; check
with travel agencies in Bissau for current
schedules, prices and itineraries.
Getting Around
Travel between the islands is just as difficult
as travel from the mainland. For canoas, ask
around at the port on each island to find
out if anyone is going where you’d like to
GUINEA-BISSAU

Expect to share the boat with farm animals,
bags of rice and cement, and quantities of
powerful-smelling, not-quite-dried fish.
There are several Bissau–Bubaque canoas
(CFA2500 per person, four to six hours)
that follow a regular weekly schedule,
though departure times vary according to
tides and winds. It’s always worth asking
around for unscheduled departures, but do
check the boat’s conditions (and your own
instincts) carefully.
At the other extreme, a number of higher-
end fishing camps on the islands hire out
speedboats to Bubaque or the other islands.
However, you can expect to pay more than
CFA100,000 for the trip from Bissau to Bu-
baque. If your hotel doesn’t arrange trans-
port, your best bet for fast, safe transport is
the Hotel Marazul (%6-626277) in Quinhámel.
It has a range of boats.
go. Alternatively, you may be able to hire
a boat and driver from one of the top-end
hotels, though you should expect to pay
about CFA50,000 to CFA100,000 per day
plus fuel.
ILHA DE BOLAMA
Located just off the mainland, about 40km
south of Bissau, the island of Bolama was long
home to the Portuguese capital. Deprived
of its status in 1941, the once-grand town
(also called Bolama) has been decaying ever
since, with sagging colonnades and papaya
trees sprouting from stately living rooms.
The effect is one of eerie beauty, though the
damage is so advanced in some cases that it
causes more regret than reverie.
The island is virtually devoid of a tourist
infrastructure, though the NGO Prodepa, an
international group devoted to preserving
 452 A R Q U I P É L A G O D O S B I J A G Ó S • • Ilha de Bubaque
traditional fishing techniques, rents basic
rooms (CFA12,000) and serves food (three
meals for around CFA5000 per person). The
closest beach is about 4km south of Bolama
town, but the best beaches are along the far
southwest end of the island, about 20km
from town via a poorly maintained road.
Currently there is a regularly scheduled
canoa that leaves Bissau for Bolama on
Saturday (CFA2000, about three hours),
returning Sunday. See p451 for more in-
formation about boat travel to the Bijagós.
ILHA DE BUBAQUE
At the centre of the Bijagós, Bubaque is
home to the archipelago’s largest town, as
well its major transport hub. If you can’t
make it to remoter islands, Bubaque makes
a fine place to unwind. There is a range of
accommodation in and around the main
town and a small beach at the island’s north-
ern tip. Or, a better option is Praia Bruce, a
wide expanse of powdery white sand at the
southern end of the island. It’s about 30km
from Bubaque town along a paved, if pitted
road. Some hotels arrange transport to the
BUBAQUE TOWN
A B
1 SLEEPING
ATLANTIC Small
GUINEA-BISSAU
Beach
OCEAN
8
2 6
Airst
Ilha de
rip
Bubaque
Some Minor Roads not Depicted
3 5 10
To Praia Bruce
(18km)
Bubaque Town
www.lonelyplanet.com
beach (up to CFA10,000 round trip), or you
can ask around to hire a bicycle (around
CFA5,000 per day). If you make the trip,
make sure you’re there for high tide.
Sleeping & Eating
There is a range of good accommodation
in Bubaque, all of which also serve meals
if you order ahead. Prices are significantly
lower – and standards of cleanliness signifi-
cantly higher – than in Bissau. For cheap eats,
head to the port area, where there are several
workers’ bar-restaurants serving cheap beers
and rice plates. Note that the island only has
power in the evenings (and this not always).
BUDGET
All the rooms in this category have shared
bathroom with bucket shower.
Chez Titi (r CFA5000) Very basic rooms, but
they’re ideally perched on a small bluff just
above the water. Good Senegalese food is
served.
Chez Raoul (s/d CFA4000/6000) Another good
budget option run by a Senegalese couple,
with a dining room attached that is con-
0 300 m
0 0.2 miles
C D
INFORMATION
IBAP (National Parks Office)........1 C3
Aparthotel Canoa (Chez Dora).....2 C3
Aparthotel Cruz Pontes................ 3 D3
Campement Cadjoco...................4 C3
Chez Raoul..................................5 D3
Chez Titi......................................6 C2
Hotel-Restaurant Calypso............7 C3
Kasa Afrikana...............................8 B2
Pousada Bela Vista.......................9 D3
EATING
Bar-Restaurants.........................10 D3
ENTERTAINMENT
Cinema...................................(see 11)
Tatumi....................................... 11 D3
SHOPPING
Shops.......................................(see 10)
1
Jetty
Church Boat to
Police 2 Bissau
Station 7 3 (65km)
Market
9
11
4
www.lonelyplanet.com A R Q U I P É L A G O D O S B I J A G Ó S • • O r a n g o I s l a n d s N a t i o n a l Pa r k 453
sidered the best in town (mains CFA500
to CFA2500).
Campement Cadjoco (r CFA7000) This French-
run pensão (pension) offers good value,
with well-maintained rooms at the back of a
pleasant garden. The owner also has a good,
fast boat and offers fishing trips as well as
transport to and from the islands.
Pousada Bela Vista (r CFA7500) Located in the
heart of town, this Franco-Senegalese run
place offers small but clean, newly furnished
rooms. Beware, though, that the owners
tend to think prices are flexible (upwards,
of course) even after you’re sure you’ve set-
tled on a figure, and the food is iffy.
MIDRANGE
Chez Dora (r CFA12,000) Officially called
Aparthotel Canoa, Chez Dora offers simple,
but tasteful, impeccably maintained cot-
tages with private baths and running water
ranged around a lush garden. The gracious
Dora does all the cooking (meals around
CFA3000), which is a delicious amalgam
of local ingredients – including her own
pigs and papayas – and techniques from
her native Portugal. She’s also relentlessly
clean, so if you’re going to eat raw greens
anywhere in West Africa, this is the place
to do it. Highly recommended.
Aparthotel Cruz Pontes (%821135; r CFA10,000)
Another good option, with simple but clean
cottages with private bathroom and run-
ning water. The friendly owner also serves
meals (CFA2500 to CFA3000) and is a good
person to ask about boat transport.
Hotel-Restaurant Calypso (% 821131; s/d
CFA12,000/15,000; s) This French-run place
offers simple but attractive bungalows with
private bathrooms, ranged around a little
garden and swimming pool.
TOP END
Kasa Afrikana (% 821144; develayg@yahoo.fr;
r CFA50,000; as) The island’s newest and
cushiest hotel caters to rich fishermen. It’s
a French-run establishment with tastefully
decorated and fully equipped rooms plus
attractive grounds with a bar, a pool, and
views of the water.
Entertainment
While the food is iffy, Pousada Bela Vista
has a terrace set on the water, making it a
popular place for an evening beer. If you’re
determined to party, check out Tatumi (admis-
sion CFA1000-2000), the island’s only full-fledged
nightclub, catering mostly to locals. Next
door is a ‘cinema’ that plays mostly French-
language DVDs on a large screen TV.
Getting There & Away
There are unscheduled canoas to and from
Bissau almost every day. In addition, there
are regularly scheduled (and generally
more reliable) canoas that leave Bissau for
Bubaque on Tuesday and Friday, returning
Wednesday and Sunday (CFA2500 per per-
son, four to six hours). There is also fairly
regular service to Orango (CFA2000, two
to four hours), and occasional services to
other islands. Just head to the port and ask
around for times and destinations. See p451
for more information about boat travel to
the Bijagós.
If you plan to visit either of the national
parks, it’s worth checking with the IBAP
office (national parks office) in Bubaque to
see if you can join the staff on one of the
park’s boats for the price of fuel (though
this can run as high as CFA50,000 return).
ORANGO ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK
Home to rare saltwater species of hippo
and crocodile, Ilha de Orango and the
surrounding islands together make up the
Orango Islands National Park. The island
is also the burial site of the Bijagós kings
and queens.
The island’s only hotel, Orango Parque Hotel
GUINEA-BISSAU
(%satellite phone 00871-761 273221; per person incl 3
meals CFA30,000) has attractive, well-maintained
rooms with pretty tile bathrooms, and sits
right on the beach. The Italian-Portuguese
owners also serve up excellent food. The
hotel is a short walk to the royal burial
grounds, though you’ll have to hire a boat
to visit the shy hippos and crocs.
JOÃO VIEIRA – POILÃO NATIONAL
MARINE PARK
At the far, southwest end of the archipelago,
the João Vieira – Poilão National Marine
Park consists of four islands and surround-
ing waters that together form a key nesting
area for three species of endangered sea tur-
tles. Ilha João Vieira is the only island with
accommodations – two adjoining fishing
camps run by Frenchmen who have been
friends since childhood in Brittany.
 454 T H E N O R T H W E S T • • Q u i n h á m e l
Set on a paradisiacal beach, Chez Claude
(per person per night with full board CFA40,000) offers
simple but spotless cabins and Franco-
African cuisine that is based on the catch
of the day and served up with a hospitality
that is at once down-to-earth and distinctly
French-inflected. Just up the beach is Tubu-
ron Club (per person per night with full board CFA50,000),
which caters to higher-end fishing tours.
Between the two lodges is the IBAP of-
fice, which has French-language displays
illustrating the local ecosystem and at writ-
ing was also in the process of building basic
rooms for visitors. Check in with park of-
ficials before visiting the turtle nesting sites
on nearby islands.
OTHER ISLANDS
Just across from Bubaque is Ilha de Rubane,
which has a number of high-end, French-
owned lodges catering to sports fishermen.
At writing, a new eco-hotel promoting low-
impact travel was also under construction.
Another option is the tiny but paradisia-
cal Ilha Acunda, just off the Unhocomo and
Unhocomozinho islands – the most west-
erly of the Bijagós. The rustic but attrac-
tive Hotel Acunda (per person per night incl 3 meals
CFA25,000) offers cabins just up from a lovely
stretch of white sand. To make reservations
and arrange transportation, contact the
Hotel Marazul (%6-626277 in Quinhámel).
THE NORTHWEST
GUINEA-BISSAU
Northwest Guinea-Bissau offers two dis-
tinct experiences for the traveller. Varela,
which sits just across the border from
Senegal’s Cap Skiring, shares its neighbour’s
gorgeous, wide beaches yet remains almost
completely undeveloped. The region is also
home to remarkably well-preserved man-
grove swamps and the Cacheu river, with
its hippos and crocodiles. A word of cau-
tion: poor road conditions throughout the
region make travel in northwest Guinea-
Bissau an exercise in patience.
QUINHÁMEL
Located about 30km west of Bissau, Quin-
hámel has a small but lively town centre,
and also serves as capital of the Biombo
region, which is the traditional home of
the Papel people. If you are arriving from
www.lonelyplanet.com
Bissau, you’ll see a local collective just be-
fore the centre of town on the left that,
with support from international groups,
is devoted to preserving traditional weav-
ing techniques. There are no formal
tours, but it’s well worth a stop to see the
men and boys at work on the traditional
looms. Down a dirt road to the left, past
the town, lies the Hotel Marazul (%6-626277;
s/d CFA30,000/35,000; as ). It offers attrac-
tive bungalows set amid a pretty grove of
palms, plus the country’s best-maintained
swimming pool. The hotel also rents boats
for fishing trips or transfers to the Bijagós
islands. Minibuses run regularly to/from
Bissau (CFA500).
CACHEU
The small riverside town of Cacheu (cash-
ay-ou) was once a major Portuguese slave-
trading centre from which the infamous
English pirate Sir Francis Drake was re-
pulsed in 1567. You can visit the recon-
structed fort, with cannons and some large
bronze statues stacked in a corner and
seemingly forgotten. Most visitors, though,
come to visit the nearby park. Minibuses
run regularly to/from Bissau (CFA2000).
PARQUE NATURAL DOS TARRAFES DO
RIO CACHEU
Established to protect large areas of man-
grove, the Parque Natural dos Tarrafes
do Rio Cacheu is home to a diverse array
of wildlife, including alligators, hippos,
monkeys, manatees, panthers, gazelles and
hyenas. There are also more than 200 bird
species, among them flamingos, Senegal
parrots and African giant kingfishers.
The park’s infrastructure is limited.
However, the park office (on the left be-
fore you reach the town of Cacheu if you’re
coming from Bissau) offers rooms with
shared bath with running water, and solar-
powered electricity for CFA3000 per per-
son. They’ll also prepare meals for guests.
At writing, there were no fixed prices for
meals – be prepared to bargain. Park offi-
cials can organise boat trips on the Cacheu
and surrounding swamps, or perhaps ar-
range for a motorbike. For more informa-
tion, contact the IBAP office (%207106; Rua São
Tomé) in Bissau.
A cheap way to view wildlife is to take
the canoa that plies the river daily between
www.lonelyplanet.com
Cacheu and São Domingos; the trip costs
CFA1500 and takes around two hours.
Schedules depend on tides.
SÃO DOMINGOS
While there is not much reason to linger
in São Domingos, this town on the Sen-
egalese border is a regional transport hub,
sitting on the main route to/from Ziguin-
chor (Senegal). If you get stuck here (not
impossible as the border post is often closed
at night), there are food stalls and several
hotels around the main square. If you’re
headed to Varela by public transport, you
may be able to find a bush taxi outside the
border post. There are plenty of bush taxis
to/from Bissau (CFA2700, two to three
hours).
VARELA
With wide sand beaches as beautiful
as those of Cap Skiring just across the
Senegalese border, Varela is the favourite
getaway of Guineans – at least those with
four-wheel drives. The road from São Do-
mingos is, at writing, in terrible condition,
though there is a lot of talk about repaving.
Even with a good vehicle, the 50km drive
can take several hours.
Once you arrive, you can pitch a tent
along the beach without a problem. Or you
can stay at Chez Helene (r CFA12,000) which of-
fers simple but well-maintained rooms and
excellent meals (CFA2500; at least if the
Italian chef decides to stick around). Con-
sider packing food as well, since shops in
this isolated town often run out of many
items.
There is usually at least one minibus
daily that runs to/from São Domingos (two
to three hours).
THE NORTHEAST
Travelling northeast from Bissau, the flat,
wet coastal regions give way to drier and
hillier land that serves as the transition
into the Sahel. There is little to detain the
traveller, although the forests and rivers
are popular with hunters and fishermen,
and the road between the Gabú and the
Guinean border winds through pretty hills
as high as 300m – the highest point in the
country.
T H E N O R T H E A S T • • B a f a t á 455
Getting There & Away
Transport from Bissau to Gabú via Bafatá
is plentiful and ranges from bush taxi to
toca-tocas. Roads are mostly good as far as
Gabú, though annual flooding can change
conditions quickly
BAFATÁ
Bafatá is the birthplace of Amilcar Cabral
and the region’s largest city. Bafatá retains a
small but interesting colonial centre, which
is located on a bluff above the Gêba River.
Travellers should check out the old public
market, with its odd, arabesque façade, and
stroll down by the peaceful area around
the riverbank.
The nicest place to stay in Bafatá is Hotel
Maimuna Capé (r with fan/air-con CFA12,000/17,000;
a ), which offers comfortable, spotless
rooms in an attractive building in the old
colonial centre. The hotel also offers meals
for CFA2800 to CFA5000. Hidden on an
unnamed street off the main Bissau–Gabú
road is Apartmento Fao (r CFA5000), which offers
small, basic rooms with shared bathroom
with bucket water. The best place to eat
is Restaurante Ponto de Encontro (dishes around
CFA3500). Run by a friendly Portuguese fam-
ily, it serves simple but hearty Portuguese
food made from fresh local ingredients.
There are also plenty of food stalls along
the main Bissau–Gabú road.
Minibuses to Bissau (CFA1800), Gabú
(CFA700) or Buba (CFA1800) depart from
the petrol station area.
GUINEA-BISSAU
BAFATÁ 0
0
500 m
0.3 miles
A B
SLEEPING
Apartmento Fao.................................1 B2
Hotel Maimuna Capé.........................2 A2
1
EATING
Food Stalls..........................................3 B2
Restaurante Ponto de Encontro..........4 A2
TRANSPORT
Minibus & Bush Taxi Park...................5 B2
Petrol Station...................................(see 5)
Gêba River
Cabral
To Gabú
Stadium (50km)
Monument
Main 2
5
2 Market 4 Hospital Market
3 Pharmacy Stalls
1
Some Minor Roads not Depicted To Bissau (151km)
Bafatá
 Gabú
456 T H E S O U T H • • S a l t i n h o www.lonelyplanet.com

GABÚ Pó di Terra (meals CFA1000-2000) The Pó di Terra

It may not be beautiful, but Gabú is defin- has outdoor seating in a pleasant garden on
itely lively, especially in the evening as the the north side of town.
shops and food stalls along the main road
to Bafatá come to life. A range of accom- Getting There & Away
modation makes it a good place to stay if Minibuses go to Bissau regularly (CFA2500,
you’re travelling to/from Guinea. five to six hours). If you’re heading for
If you’re determined to get to know this Guinea or Senegal, see p460 for details of
part of the country, you can head to Canja- transport options from Gabú. You can eas-
dude, 40km south on the poorly maintained ily change CFA into Guinean francs at the
road to Boé. From here, you can hike up bush taxi and minibus park.
several rocky hillocks rising from the plain
and get good views of the area.

Sleeping & Eating

THE SOUTH
Hotel Visiom (%511484; r with fan/air-con CFA8000/ Moving into southern Guinea-Bissau, you
15,000; a) Out in a quiet spot north of town, leave the Sahel well behind and enter a beau-
the Visiom is good value, with clean rooms tiful region of tropical forests penetrated by
with bathroom, a friendly staff, and a small countless waterways. The bird and monkey
garden. populations are impressive, and this is the
Residencial Djaraama (%511302; r with shared home of Africa’s most westerly chimpanzee
bathroom CFA12,500) Occupying the 2nd floor populations.
of a colonial building and ringed by a wide
veranda, this place may be overpriced, but Getting There & Away
it’s the only place with character. Kitschy Currently, the only way to get to the re-
décor includes a 4m-long snakeskin and an gion is by minibus or with your own ve-
inflatable reindeer. hicle – preferably a very sturdy four-wheel
Jomav (r CFA5000) This bar-restaurant-disco drive. Roads are very poor, so even short
offers small but spotless rooms with fan and distances can be slow. There’s a minibus
tiny bathrooms with bucket water. Be aware that plies the Bissau–Catió route most days
that you won’t get much sleep here when (CFA3000, all day), though you may have
the disco’s open. to switch vehicles in Buba. You can also
Restaurant Binta (meals from CFA500) Binta is a get a minibus from Bafatá. Either way, you
feisty Dakar lady who makes one hell of a should ask around the day before to con-
peanut sauce. firm schedules.
GUINEA-BISSAU

At writing there were no longer any regu-

GABÚ 0
0
200 m
0.1 miles
larly scheduled canoas or ferries between
Bissau and Catió or Enxude.
A B

SLEEPING Getting Around

Hotel Visiom.......................................1 B1
Jomav................................................2 A2
Without a very sturdy four-wheel drive ve-
1 Residencial Djaraama..........................3 A2 hicle, getting around the region is very dif-
EATING
ficult. Regular cars can make it to Buba but
Pò di Terra..........................................4 B2 not to Catió. Minibuses ply most roads, but
Restaurant Binta.................................5 B2
Street Food Stalls................................6 B2 1
service can be infrequent and erratic.
TRANSPORT
Bush Taxi & Minibus Park...................7 B2
SALTINHO
The main Bissau-Buba road crosses the
4
3
Guiné
Corubal River right over the Saltinho water-
2 Telecom falls. The Pousada do Saltinho (%202901; s/d
2 To Bafatá (50km); CFA20,000/25,000; a) has fine views of the falls,
Bissau (200km)
6 7 though they’re largely obscured by a metal
Market
To Guinea bridge. The hotel is popular with European
5 (66km)
Some Minor Roads not Depicted
hunters. Even if you don’t stay here, come
for a drink or just for a swim in the falls.
www.lonelyplanet.com G U I N E A - B I S S AU D I R E C T O R Y • • A c c o m m o d a t i o n 457
BUBA
Buba is a small junction town on the way
to points further south and east. The most
pleasant place to stay (and best value) is Pou-
sada Bela Vista (%6-647011; r CFA10,000; a), which
has spotless, attractively fitted-out bungalows
and lovely vistas of the river. To find it, head
all the way to the port and turn left along a
dirt road for about 500m. Another option
is the Foroya Club (%611120; r CFA15,00), a hunt-
ing and fishing club that offers bungalows
with bathroom on a pleasant spot just above
the river. There’s also a restaurant (meals
CFA3000). In town, there are a number of
places to get cheap bowls of fish and rice
(around CFA500). A minibus from Bissau
(CFA2500, all day) leaves most mornings.
About 5km before you reach the town of
Buba, you will see signs for Parque Natural
da Lagoa de Cafatada. While there was no in-
frastructure for visitors at writing, it is an
important habitat for both bird and aquatic
life. For more information about arranging
a visit, contact the IBAP office (%207106; Rua
São Tomé) in Bissau.
CATIÓ
Catió is the most remote area in the south
that still has regular transport connections
with Bissau. There is not much reason to
linger, but it’s a necessary stop on the way
to Jemberem and the Cantanhez Forest.
You can reach Catió by minibus (CFA3000,
all day) from Bissau (though you may have
to switch vehicles in Buba).
JEMBEREM & THE CANTANHEZ
FOREST
Jemberem is a small village 22km east of
Catió, and the centre of a community-based
conservation scheme connected with the
proposed Parque Natural de Cantanhez,
which is a good place to see birds and, with
luck, chimpanzees and elephants. The local
women’s association has set up the small
and inexpensive Raça Banana guesthouse.
Through them or the local chief you can
arrange a guide (essential) to show you
through the nearby sacred forest.
There’s a daily kandonga (truck or pick-
up) in the morning between Catió and
Jemberem. You may also check in at the
IBAP office (%207106; Rua São Tomé) in Bissau for
more information about the park, including
transport.
GUINEA-BISSAU
DIRECTORY
ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation in Bissau is not only ex-
pensive but also poor value. The budget
doubles are primitive and not very clean but
still cost around CFA10,000. Expect to pay
upwards of CFA35,000 for a midrange dou-
ble with running water, electricity and air-
conditioning. Outside the capital, the
situation is, fortunately, very different. For
CFA10,000 to CFA15,000 you can expect a
clean, comfortable room with running water,
private bath and, at the higher end of the
scale, air-conditioning. Budget digs outside
Bissau cost around CFA5,000. Specialist hunt-
ing and fishing camps are scattered around
the country, catering to upmarket visitors
flying in from France and Portugal. They
generally charge CFA30,000 to CFA50,000
per person for room and full board.
ACTIVITIES
The Arquipélago dos Bijagós (p450) and
especially Varela have great sandy beaches,
and the waters around the Bijagós also
offer some of the best deep-sea fishing in
the world. Cycling is an excellent way to get
around Guinea-Bissau, as roads are quiet
and generally flat. There are no formal hire
outlets, but you can usually arrange some-
thing just by asking around. For more seri-
GUINEA-BISSAU
ous exploration, consider bringing your own
bike (for more information, see p843).
PRACTICALITIES

The national radio and TV stations
broadcast in Portuguese. Most interest-
ing for travellers is Radio Mavegro FM
(100.0MHz), which combines music with
hourly news bulletins in English from
the BBC.

Newspapers come and go quickly in
Bissau. If you sit at one of the city's cafes
or restaurants, a vendor will quickly be
offering you the latest offerings.

Electrical voltage is 220V with European
plugs (2 round prongs).

Guinea-Bissau uses the metric system.
 458 G U I N E A - B I S S AU D I R E C T O R Y • • B o o k s
BOOKS
Patrick Chabal’s Amilcar Cabral: Revolu-
tionary Leadership and People’s War is a
fine antidote to current cynicism about
African politics, documenting the way the
leader of Guinea-Bissau’s revolution com-
bined idealism, sharp analytical powers and
political acumen.
Walter Hawthorne’s Planting Rice and
Harvesting Slaves: Transformations along
the Guinea-Bissau Coast, 1400–1900 ex-
amines the way European slavery radically
changed the way of life of the stateless
Balanta people of Guinea-Bissau.
Jonina Einarsdottir’s Tired of Weeping:
Mother Love, Child Death, and Poverty in
Guinea-Bissau explores the unexpected
ways women of Guinea-Bissau’s matrilineal
Papel tribe cope with high rates of infant
mortality.
BUSINESS HOURS
Opening hours for banks and government
offices vary quite a bit, but are usually
8am to noon and 3pm to 6pm Monday to
Friday, or from 8am to 2pm Monday to
Friday. The post offices are generally open
Monday to Friday mornings only, but the
main post office in Bissau is open 8am to
6pm Monday to Saturday. Larger shops
are generally open from 8am or 9am until
6pm Monday to Friday and 8am until 1pm
or 2pm Saturday. Some shops also close
for an hour or two in the early afternoon.
In most towns there are usually corner
GUINEA-BISSAU
grocers that will stay open until 10pm or
even later.
EMBASSIES & CONSULATES
Guinea-Bissau Embassies & Consulates
In West Africa, you can get visas for
Guinea-Bissau in The Gambia, Guinea,
Mauritania and Senegal. For more details
see the relevant country chapter. Outside
Africa, Guinea-Bissau has very few embas-
sies or consulates. These are more or less
limited to the following:
Belgium (%02-647 08 09; 70 Av Franklin-Roosevelt,
Brussels 1000)
France (%01 45 26 18 51; 94 Rue Saint Lazare, 75009
Paris)
Portugal (%21 303 04 40; Rua Alcolena, 17, Lisbon
1400)
USA (%301-947 3958; 15929 Yukon Lane, Rockville,
MD 20855)
www.lonelyplanet.com
Embassies & Consulates in
Guinea-Bissau
All embassies and consulates are in Bissau,
some in the centre, others along the road
towards the airport.
France (%201312; cnr Av de 14 Novembro & Av do
Brazil)
Gambia (%203928; Av de 14 Novembro; h8.30am-
3pm Sat-Thu, to 12.30pm Fri) Located 1km northwest of
Mercado de Bandim.
Guinea (%201231; Rua 12; h8.30am-3pm Sat-Thu,
to 1pm Fri) East of the central stadium.
Mauritania (%203696; Rua Eduardo Mondlane) South
of the central stadium.
Senegal (%212944; off Praça dos Heróis Nacionais;
h8am-5pm)
The consul for the UK and the Netherlands
is Jan van Maanen (%201224, 211529; fax 201265;
Supermercardo Mavegro, Rua Eduardo Mondlane, Bissau).
Contact the French embassy for informa-
tion about visas for Benin, Côte d’Ivoire
and Togo.
FESTIVALS & EVENTS
Guinea-Bissau’s main event is Carnival,
which takes place in Bissau every year in Feb-
ruary or early March. Music, masks, dancing,
parades and all-around good times are the
order of the day. Small festivals are held in
other towns around the country at about the
same time of year, although you need to ask
locally for details as dates are not fixed.
HOLIDAYS
Public holidays include:
New Year’s Day 1 January
Anniversary of the Death of Amilcar Cabral
20 January
Women’s Day 8 March
Easter March/April
Labour Day 1 May
Pidjiguiti Day 3 August
Independence Day 24 September
Christmas Day 25 December
Islamic feasts such as Eid al-Fitr (at the
end of Ramadan) and Tabaski are also cele-
brated. See p818 for a table of dates of Is-
lamic holidays.
INTERNET ACCESS
There are several Internet cafés in Bissau.
They charge CFA1000 to CFA1500 per hour
for slow, dial-up connections. Outside of
www.lonelyplanet.com
the capital, there is virtually no public In-
ternet access.
LANGUAGE
Portuguese is the official language, but
no more than a third of the people speak
it. Each group has its own language, but
the common tongue is Crioulo – a mix of
medieval Portuguese and local words. As
Guinea-Bissau is increasingly drawn into
the Afro-Francophone world, more and
more people understand French. See p861
for some useful phrases.
MONEY
At writing, there are no ATM machines in
Guinea-Bissau, and credit cards are not ac-
cepted anywhere. You must plan to arrive
with all the money you need in the form
of traveller’s cheques or, preferably, cash.
Euros are the easiest to exchange. US dol-
lars are more difficult, and sometimes im-
possible outside Bissau.
The unit of currency is the West African
CFA franc. The principal bank of Guinea-
Bissau is the Banco da Africa Ocidental
(BAO), although they don’t change trav-
ellers cheques. In Bissau you can change
cash at BAO or with the moneychangers
around the Mercado Central (some may
also accept travellers cheques, though at
ruinous rates). You can also change cash
and travellers cheques at Supermercardo
Mavegro. Outside Bissau, there are few
banks, so most travellers change money in
Bissau.
Outside of Bissau you may have luck
changing euros, and in rare cases US dol-
lars, just by asking around any public mar-
ket. However, plan to carry all the local
currency you think you might need.
Tipping is optional.
PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO
Photo permits are not required, but the
usual restrictions apply. For more infor-
mation see p823.
POST
The postal service is reliable but slow – you’re
probably better off posting mail home from
Senegal or Gambia. If you decide to make a
go of it, airmail letters cost CFA450. Travel-
lers report that the poste restante in Bissau
is unhelpful and unreliable.
G U I N E A - B I S S AU D I R E C T O R Y • • L a n g u a g e 459
TELEPHONE
For local calls, keep an eye out for signs
‘posto publico’; they are located in corner
grocery stores and other shops around
the country. They allow you to make local
calls, and sometimes international long-
distance calls, though the latter can be pun-
ishingly expensive – between CFA2200 and
CFA5000 per minute, depending on the
country. There is also a call centre at the
main post office (Av Amilcar Cabral) in Bissau.
It is relatively easy to buy a mobile phone
with a prepaid plan. You can also buy a
SIM card and put it in your own mobile
phone. The best company is Areeba, which
charges about CFA5,000 for a SIM card,
about CFA100 per minute for calls within
the country and as little as CFA500 for inter-
national calls. Service is fairly reliable on
the mainland, but not in the Arquipélago
dos Bijagós.
There are no city phone codes in Guinea-
Bissau. All fixed-line numbers have six
digits. Mobile phones have seven digits.
VISAS
All visitors, except nationals of Ecowas
countries, need visas. These are normally
valid for one month and are issued for
around US$40 at embassies. They are not
issued at land borders, but may be issued
at the airport if you come from an African
country where visas are not available. To
avoid hassles, get one before you arrive.
GUINEA-BISSAU
Visa Extensions
Extensions are easy to obtain at Serviço de
Estrangeiros (Av 14 de Novembro, Bissau), behind the
main immigration building across from the
Mercado Bandim. For virtually all nation-
alities, 45-day visa extensions cost around
CFA4000 and are ready the same day if you
apply early.
Visas for Onward Travel
Visas for the following neighbouring coun-
tries can be obtained at their embassies in
Bissau.
Gambia Three-month single-entry visas cost CFA15,000
and require one photo; they’re ready the same day if you
go early.
Guinea Two-month multiple-entry visas cost US$40 plus
two photos and take a day or two to issue.
Senegal One-month multiple-entry visas cost CFA5000
with four photos and are issued in two days.
 460 T R A N S P O R T I N G U I N E A - B I S S AU • • G e t t i n g T h e re & A w a y
WOMEN TRAVELLERS
The combined legacy of Portuguese as-
similation and the role of women fighters
in the liberation war, plus limited Islamic
influence, means local women enjoy a
certain degree of freedom. If you’ve trav-
elled through Senegal or Mali, the sight of
women in trousers, couples holding hands
in public, or men and women simply so-
cialising comfortably together, makes a re-
freshing change. Although the atmosphere
is relaxed, in rural areas female visitors may
be more comfortable behaving and dress-
ing conservatively. For more information,
see p828.
TRANSPORT IN
GUINEA-BISSAU
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Entering Guinea-Bissau
A certificate with proof of a yellow fever
vaccination is required of all travellers.
Air
Guinea-Bissau’s only international airport
is on the outskirts of Bissau. The main
airlines flying to/from Guinea-Bissau are
TAP Air Portugal, TACV Cabo Verde Air-
lines, Air Sénégal International and budget
airline Air Luxor. Departure tax for inter-
national flights is US$20, but this is usually
included in the ticket price.
GUINEA-BISSAU
TAP Air Portugal and Air Luxor are the
only airlines with direct flights from Europe
to Bissau. Between them, Air Sénégal and
TACV Cabo Verde Airlines operate seven
flights per week between Bissau and Dakar.
To fly between Bissau and anywhere else
in Africa, you’ll have to get a connecting
flight in Dakar.
The following airlines service Guinea-
Bissau:
Air Luxor (LK; %206422; www.airluxor.com; Av 24 de
Setembro) Hub: Lisbon.
Air Sénégal International (V7; %205211; www/air
-senegal-international.com; Rua Osualdo Vieira) Hub: Dakar.
DEPARTURE TAX
There is a US$20 airport departure tax,
which is usually included in your ticket.
www.lonelyplanet.com
TACV Cabo Verde Airlines (VR; %206087; www.tacv
.com; Av Amilcar Cabral) Hub: Praia.
TAP Air Portugal (TP; %201359; www.flytap.com;
Praça dos Heróis Nacionais) Hub: Lisbon.
Land
The busiest crossing point to/from Senegal
is at São Domingos, on the main route
between Ingore and Ziguinchor. There
are also crossing points between Tanaf
and Farim, and near Pirada, north of
Gabú on the route to/from Vélingara and
Tambacounda.
To/from Guinea, most traffic goes via
Kandika and Saréboïdo on the road be-
tween Gabú and Koundara. A less-travelled
route, open only in the dry season, links
southeastern Guinea-Bissau and western
Guinea via Quebo and Boké.
GUINEA
Bush taxis usually go to the border daily
from Gabú and Koundara (CFA2500). It
can take all day to cover this 100km stretch,
although the winding road through the
Fouta Djalon foothills is beautiful. If you
have to change transport at Saréboïdo,
tying in with the weekly Sunday market
will improve your options.
During the dry season you may be able
to take a four-wheel drive from Gabú to
Boké (CFA8000); from here transport goes
on to Conakry.
The adventurous may be able to get a
canoa from Cacine in the far southeast
to Kamsar (about a five-hour trip), from
where you can find onward transport to
Boké or Conakry.
SENEGAL
Most overland travel between Senegal and
Guinea-Bissau passes through Ziguinchor,
Senegal and the Guinean border town of
São Domingos. The recently completed
bridge at Joalande means that vehicles rely
on only one ferry – the one that crosses
Cacheu river. A bush taxi between Bissau
and Ziguinchor costs CFA4700 per per-
son, and each passenger must pay another
CFA100 for the ferry.
You can also cross the border between
Farim and Tanaf by bush taxi. You may
also be able to get transport from Gabú to
Tambacounda (via Vélingara), though road
conditions are poor and journeys long.
 © Lonely Planet Publications
www.lonelyplanet.com T R A N S P O R T I N G U I N E A - B I S S AU • • G e t t i n g A r o u n d 461

GETTING AROUND tion, except for some stretches of signifi-

Air
At writing there were no domestic flights in
Guinea-Bissau.
Boat
Canoas connect Bissau with the Bijagós,
with regularly scheduled boats to Bubaque
and Bolama and occasional boats to other
islands. In addition, top-end hotels rent
boats, though costs are high. See p451
for more information about travel to the
Bijagós.
Minibus & Bush Taxi
The main roads between Bissau and the
towns of Bafatá, Gabú, and São Domingos
are all tar and at writing in good condi-
cant potholes. The roads to Buba, Catió,
Cacheu and Varela have long stretches of
several potholes, slowing travel to 10km to
20km per hour. Other roads are even slower
going, and often become impassable in the
rainy season.
Public transport around the country con-
sists mainly of minibuses (almost always
painted blue and yellow) and Peugeot 504
bush taxis, often called sept-places (seven-
seater). Kandongas ply the rural routes.
Mornings (before 8am) are always the best
time to get transport. For an idea of fares
across the country, from Bissau to Gabú
(around 200km) is CFA2700 by Peugeot
504, CFA2000 by minibus and CFA1500 by
kandonga.

GUINEA-BISSAU

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